Rarely has an elected official kept a campaign promise as dramatically as has License Commissioner Kim Hastie. Citizens of Mobile County should all be proud that Ms. Hastie has fulfilled and even exceeded her campaign promises. She campaigned on the basis that she would improve customer service and efficiency in the License Commissioner’s office, which were sorely lacking at best.

Anyone who has ever been there in the past knows a visit to the License Commissioner’s office was as unpleasant as — or worse than — a trip to the dentist. I do not know how Ms. Hastie accomplished it, but in the short time that she has been in her position, she has totally and miraculously transformed the entire organization.

It is known that great leaders possess the unique ability to bring out the best in good people. This is obviously the case here, because the employees under Ms. Hastie are some of the nicest, most courteous and efficient that I have ever experienced in either the public or the private sector.

Commissioner Kim Hastie is an outstanding elected official and sterling public servant.

ADAM J. METCALFE

Mobile

Bicycles may not last long on the USA campus

Let’s see, 500 bicycles unsecured on an open campus with little or no security. What could go wrong? Why didn’t USA just run a front page ad saying “Free Bicycles”? You know they are going to be stolen.